Naming Covalent Compounds
This means the name of the first element is what it is in the periodic table, while for the second element, we change the ending to -ide.
A reminder that a molecule is a group of two or more atoms held together by covalent bonds. Covalent bonds are usually formed between two or more nonmetals. For example, Cl2, CH4, NH3, CO2.
Prefixes are used to denote the number of atoms in the molecule (see table to the right). The prefix "mono" (which refers to one) is never used on the first atom in a compound. Also, atoms that contain hydrogen typically do not have prefixes but are named using common nomenclature.
SF6 - sulfur hexafluoride
NCl3 - nitrogen trichloride
N2O3 - dinitrogen trioxide